Conveyer-chain.



No. 765,990. PATENTED JULY 26, 1904.

D. B. PHILLIPS.

CONVBYER CHAIN.

AP'PLIOATIONIILED NOV. 4, 1903.

N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

No. 765,990. PATBNTED JULY 26, 1904.

D. E. PHILLIPS.

CONVEYER CHAIN.

' APPLICATION FILED-NOV. 4, 1903.

H0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET z.

Witnesses WW @WXM.

UNiTEn STATEs Patented July 26, 1904.

PATENT @FFIIQE.

OONV E YER-CHAHN.

EPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 765,990, dated July 26,190% Application filed November 4, 1903. Serial No. 179,830. (No model.)

T will whom it may concern:

. Be it known that I, DAVID E. PHILLIPS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Mahanoy City, in the countyof Schuylkill and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inOonveyer- Chains, of which the following is a specification.

My invention comprises improvements in conveyer-chains and in the methodof making the same.

According to my invention conVeyer-chains of comparatively light weightand great strength may be made from sheet metal, and for this purposeremnants of steel plates used in the manufacture of coal-screens, 620.,may be employed to advantage, for the reason that the chain-links aremade from narrow strips of metal and no very large parts are requiredeither for the links or the flights.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of the metal blankfrom which the chain-link which carries the flight is formed. Fig. 2 isa similar view of the same with the tongues at the ends of the blankfolded back against one of its sides. tive view of the blank folded toform a complete link and having the eyes drilled at the ends. Fig. 4 isa plan view of the blank from which thelinks intermediate of theflight-carrying links are formed. Fig. 5 is asirnilar view of the sameblank with the tongues at the ends folded against one of its sides. Fig.6 is a top perspective view of the complete link formed by doubling theblank shown in Fig. 5 longitudinally. Fig. 7 is a bottomplan viewshowing two of the flightlinks;with

flights attached and an intermediate link;

Figs. 8 and 9 are side and top views of the same, respectively. Fig. 10is a plan view of one of the blanks which forms half of the flight. Fig.11 is a side view of the flightblank bent into shape to form one-half ofa flight. Fig. 12 is a section on. the line 12 12 of Fig. 8; I and Fig.13 is a section on the-line 13 13 of Fig. 8, showing one of the connecting-boltsfor the links.

In Fig. 1 of the drawings, 1 indicates astrip Fig. 3 is a perspecofmetal having the requisite length and width to form a chain-link andhaving slots 2 extending longitudinally inward from its ends along thecentral line of the strip. The reotangular blanks may first be punchedfrom sheet metal and the slots 2 afterward formed therein, or the slotsmay be formed simultaneously with the forming of the blank.

These slots are somewhat greater in width than twice the thickness ofthe metal. The purpose of slotting the ends of the blank is to providetongues 3 and a at each end, which are then bent over at or near theinner ends of the slots and folded flat against one side of the body ofthe strip, as shown inFig. 2. The strip is then doubled upon itselfalong its longitudinal center, bringing the tongues 3 and 4 face to faceand forming the link A U shape in cross-section. (Shown in Fig. 3.) Theeyes 5 for the bolts are then drilled or punched through the ends of thelink. The tongues 3 and a form a solid head for the completed link andalso space the walls 1 and 1 of the link a suitable distance apart forthe insertion of the shank or attaching portion of the flight, which issecured to the link in the manner hereinafter described. The tongues 3and 4: are preferably welded to the side walls. of the link, and thismay be done when the strip is flat, as shown in Fig. 2, or after thestrip has been folded, as shown in F ig 3..

tonguesfi and 4 brought together, so that the weldingoperation willunite the tongues with are rounded off, as shown, so that the link willwork properly with the adjacent links in the chain.

Fig. 4 shows one of the slotted blanks 6 from which the intermediate orconnecting links between the flight-carrying links are U Preferably thewelding operationni s performed after the link is formed and the;

The eyes might be punched formed. This blank is a trifle longer than theblank shown in Fig. 1 and is somewhat wider, and the slots 7 and 8,formed in its ends, are approximately twice as wide and twice as long asthe slots in the strip shown in Fig. 1. The width of the slots 7 and 8is somewhat greater than four times the thickness of the metal in thestrip. The tongues 9 and 10 at the ends of the strip are folded backupon themselves, as shown in Fig. 5, upon the same side of the strip,and preferably they are so folded that the ends of the tongues willextend backward upon the strip to a short distance beyond the inner endsof the slots. The strip is then folded longitudinally along its centralline. so as to bring the tongues 9 and 10 upon the outer and oppositesides of the complete link B, as shown in Fig. 6. Either before or afterbending the strip longitudinally the folded portions of the tongues arepreferably welded to the adjacent portions which form the walls of thelink. The eyes 11 are preferably drilled after the link is formed. Thecomplete link B has a U form in cross-section, with forked endsreinforced by the tongues 9 and 10, and the distance between the wallsof the link B is just sufficient to receive the ends of the link A. Whenboth links are made from metal of the same thickness, this distance willbe slightly greater than four times the thickness of the metal.

Both links have curved backs, as shown, which will not carry dirt to thesprocketwheels, and as the curved back or top of the link B is cut awayat the ends by reason of the slots 7 and 8 the inner links A whenconnected, as shown in Figs. 7 8, and 9, can turn freely upon thepivot-bolts to a limited extent between the forked ends of the link B.

In Figs. 7, 8, and 9 two of the links A, each carrying a flight C andconnected by an intermediate link B, are shown in bottom plan, side, andtop plan views, respectively. The heads of the adjacent links aredetachably connected in the manner shown in Fig. 13. A bolt 12 extendsthrough the eyes in the adjacent heads of the links A and B and alsothrough a pair of solid studs or washers 13, arranged on opposite sidesof the forked end of the link B. These studs or projections in thepractical use of the chain are engaged by the teeth upon thesprocketwheels which move the chain. One of these washers has a deepangular socket 1A and the other a shallow angular socket 15. Within thesocket 14 is arranged a spring 16, which normally presses the head 17 ofthe bolt outward and draws the nut 18 upon the opposite end of the boltinto the socket 15. To disconnect the links, the head 17 of the bolt ispressed into the socket 14 against the action of the spring 16, therebyforcing the nut 18 out of the angular socket 15, so that the nut can beturned off of the bolt and the latter removed.

The flightC is made in two similar halves, which are formed from sheetmetal of the samethickness as the metal in the links A and after beingshaped are secured together and attached to the link. Fig. 10 is a planview of the blank from which one-half of the flight is formed. Thisblank has a triangular portion 19, by which it is attached to thechain-link, and it also has a vertical slot 20 extending downwardly fromits upper edge. In forming one half of the flight a part 21 is bent atright angles to the body of the blank upon a line 22, extending at rightangles to the slot 20 to form a flange, and the part 23 is then bent atright angles to the part 19 upon the dotted line 24, which is in linewith the slot 20. As shown in Fig. 11, which represents one half, 0, ofa complete flight, the flange portion 21 will then bear against the sideof the part 19 and form a brace for the portion 23, having a curvedlower edge which fits into the trough. The complementary half 0 of theflight is similarly formed; but of course the bends in the blank are thereverse of the bends in the part 0. As shown in Fig. 12, the parts 19 ofboth halves of the flight are connected by one or more rivets 25, andthe upper portions of these parts above the flanges project upwardlybetween the walls of the link A and are secured together and to the linkby rivets 26. The upper ends of the parts 19 have a bearing against thecurved back of the link.

It will be noted that where the link A and flight U are made of metalhaving the same thickness the shank or attaching portion of the flight,which has a double thickness of metal, will fit snugly between the wallsof the link, as the latter are separated by two thicknesses of metal atthe ends. Flights may of course be attached to the links B instead of tothe links A by having a suflicient thickness of metal upon the shanks ofthe flights to fit within the walls of the link; but this is not sodesirable as the arrangement shown, in which the flights are made ofmetal having the same thickness as the links, in which case all of theparts fit harmoniously together.

It is obvious that chain-links similar in form to those hereinbeforedescribed may be made by forging or casting the metal, and the flightsmay also be made in cast metal, and, so far as the form and arrangementof the links and the flights are concerned, I do not care to limitmyself to the sheet-metal construction.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent,

1. A conveyer-chain link comprising a U- shaped bar havinglaterally-reinforced ends.

2. A conveyer-chain link comprising a sheetmetal plate doubledlongitudinally into U form and having reinforced ends.

3. A conveyer-chain link comprising a sheetmetal plate doubledlongitudinally into U form and having its end portions folded backwardagainst its side walls.

at. A conveyer-chain link comprising a sheetmetal platedoubledlongitudinally into U form and having its end portions foldedbackward against its side walls and welded thereto.

5'. A conveyer-chain link comprising a sheetmetal plate doubledlongitudinally into U form and having its end portions slotted along thelongitudinal bend in the plate, forming tongues, said tongues beingfolded against the side walls of the link.

6. A conveyer-chain link comprising a sheetmetal plate doubledlongitudinally into U form and having its end portions slotted along thelongitudinal bend in the plate, forming tongues, said tongues beingfolded against the side walls of the link and welded thereto.

7. A conveyer-chain link comprising a sheetmetal plate doubledlongitudinally upon itself to form a bar U-shaped in cross-section, anda metal filling between the side walls of the bar at each end.

8. A conveyer-chain link comprising a sheetmetal plate doubledlongitudinally upon itself to form a bar U-shaped in cross-section, ametal filling between the side walls of the bar at each end, and aflight having a shank or attaching part fitting between the side wallsof the bar and secured thereto.

9. A flight for conveyer-chains comprising two similar metal piecessecured together and having shanks adapted to be secured to a chain,parts extending at right angles to the shanks and adapted to fit withina conveyer-trough, and flanges projecting horizontally rearward fromsaid latter parts and abutting against said shanks.

10. The combination with a chain-link, U- shaped in cross-section, of aflight having an attaching portion or shank secured between the walls ofthe bar.

11. The combination with a chain-link, U- shaped in cross-section, of aflight consisting of two similar parts each having an attaching portionor shank secured between the walls of the link, and a part at rightangles thereto adapted to fit within a conveyer-trough.

12. The combination with a chain-link, U- shaped in cross-section, of aflight consisting of two similar parts each having an attaching portionor shank secured between the walls of the link, a part at right anglesthereto adapted to fit within a conveyertrough, and a flange extendingrearwardly at right angles to said latter part and having one edgeabutting against said shank.

13. The combination with a chain-link, U- shaped in cross-section andhaving a metal filling between its walls at its ends, of a flightcomprising two similar parts each having a shank fitting between thewalls of the link, a

part at right angles to the shank adapted to fit within aconveyer-trough, and a flange projecting rearwardly from said latterpart and having one of its lateral edges abutting against said shank.

14. A conveyer-chain link comprising a sheet-metal plate doubledlongitudinally upon.

itself to form a bar U-shaped in cross-section, and having tongues atits ends folded between the sides of the bar, in combination withaflight comprising two similar parts having shanks fitting between andsecured to the walls of the bar, and parts extending at right angles tothe bar and adapted to fit within a conveyertrough.

15. A conveyer-chain link comprising a sheet-metal plate doubledlongitudinally upon itself to form a bar U-shaped in cross-section, andhaving tongues at its ends folded between the sides of the bar,incombination with a flight comprising two similar parts having shanksfitting between and secured to the walls of the bar, parts extending atrightangles tothe bar and adapted to fit within a conveyertrough, andflanges projecting rearwardly from said latter parts and having edgesabutting against said shanks.

16. A conveyer-chain link comprising asheet-metal plate doubledlongitudinallyupon itself to form a bar U-shaped in cross-section, andhaving tongues at its ends folded inward between the walls of the bar.

17. A conveyer-chain link comprising a sheet-metal plate doubledlongitudinally upon itself to form a bar U-shaped in cross-section, andhaving tongues at its ends folded inward between the walls of the bar,said tongues being welded to the walls of the bar.

18. A chain-link comprising a sheet-metal plate bent upon itselflongitudinally into U form and having its ends slotted in line with thebend, forming tongues at the ends of the bar, said tongues being foldedbackward upon themselves at the outer sides of the link.

19. A chain-link comprising a sheet-metal plate bent upon itselflongitudinally into U- form and having its ends slotted in line with thebend, forming tongues at the ends of the bar, said tongues being foldedbackward upon themselves at the outer sides of the link and weldedthereto.

20. A conveyer-chaincomprising links U- shaped in cross-section andhaving metal fillings between their side walls at their ends, andalternate links U-shaped in cross-section and having metalreinforcements on the outer sides of their walls at their ends.

21. A conveyer-chain comprising links of sheet metal doubledlongitudinally into U form and having tongues at their ends foldedinwardly between the side walls of said links, and alternate sheet-metallinks doubled longitudinally into U form and having tongues at theirends, said tongues being folded backward upon themselves at the outersides of the link.

22. The combination with a pair of chainlinks, of a bolt passing throughand connecting the ends of said links, said bolt having an angular headat one end and a threaded nut at its opposite end, a pair of studs orwashers arranged upon said belt at opposite sides of the link-heads, oneof said studs havinga comparatively deep socket adapted to receive DAVIDE. PHILLIPS.

WVitnesses:

J OI-IN W. PHILLIPS, JOHN B. REESE.

